The Trenton Thunder have a great deal of intangibles in their favor. They are one of, if not the oldest current minor league team in the corridor between Washington and Boston, at least as far as affiliated teams go. Even better their affiliation is as the AA team for the New York Yankees, bringing all that power and pride with it. They sit in a beautiful ballpark on the banks of the Delaware River, drawing not just from urban Trenton but from across the river in Bucks County and from the affluent suburbs around Princeton, which also have the wealth of jobs and brands in New Jersey’s pharma industry. They are also affordable fun. But that’s not what really makes the Thunder so successful. It all helps, but they don’t take anything for granted and constantly find ways to exploit all those opportunities and build in new and meaningful promotions to make the organization one of the best not just in baseball, but in professional sports.
In short, The Thunder get it.
Yes the team has all the standard promotions, contests and giveaways, with the requite fireworks thrown in for good measure. However they constantly look to the community to find promotable areas to build legacy as well as fun. How? Here are some examples:
As part of the Yankees organization, the club participated in HOPE Week, taking Thunder players and staff out into the community to honor those less fortunate, and then bringing those worthy of being honored to the ballpark for a night. The team took it one step further by bringing the Thunder brand, and its positive messages to The Bronx one night as well, reinforcing their direct ties not just to the current club, but to the future as well, a solid message to send to fans.
Later this month the team will help out two of their own, current Yankees and Thunder alumni Robinson Cano’s and his RC 24 Foundation and David Robertson’s High Socks For Hope Foundation. The Thunder’s own MVP Foundation will present checks to Robinson Cano and David Robertson on behalf of their foundations in a ceremony on the field before the game. The Yankee All-Stars will also take part in the ceremonial first pitches, tying the parent club back to Trenton in a way casual fans will remember and few minor league teams get to do.
On Saturday, July 28, the team will stage its annual “Good Deed Game.” It is not about casual acts of good teams and players do, it is about raising real dollars in the community, with six local community organizations benefiting from Thunder largess. The Thunder will reward fans who support one, two, three, four, five or all six of the charities. The Good Deed Game will feature a blood drive to benefit the Community Blood Council of New Jersey, a school supplies drive to support the learning center at the East Trenton Chapter of Habitat for Humanity, a non-perishable food drive to benefit the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, a toiletries drive to support HomeFront, a clothing drive that will benefit the Rescue Mission of Trenton, and new this year, a pet supplies drive to support The Shelter Animal Project.
Fans who donate to any one of the causes will receive a ticket to the Thunder ‘s Fan Appreciation Night vs. New Britain on Thursday, August 30 at 7:05 pm. People who donate to any two of the drives will get the game ticket and will throw a ceremonial pitch before the August 30 game. Three donations will result in the ticket, ceremonial pitch and the opportunity to watch the August 30 fireworks on the field. Fans who make four donations will receive everything above and a Thunder hat. Individuals who support five causes will everything above plus receive free parking on August 30. People who donate to all six will get everything plus a voucher for a free hot dog, popcorn and soda. It is a great idea to help fans graduate up for programs and give an immediate reward that benefits thousands, and a smart way to pull in solid charity support across the board.
The Thunder have also looked to the future, sponsoring and promoting the citizenship signup of 29 candidates on the field prior to a game in early July. What better way to promote American values and diversity, while showing fans and even players what American citizenship is all about. Overall, 29 citizenship candidates come from the following countries: Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Guatemala, India, Liberia, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Russia, Sri Lanka, Turkey, and Vietnam were involved in the program this year.
Now while some may say that free popcorn and extra on field contests will raise more in tickets and concessions than any of these programs, in truth the programs like this represent a strong way to promote long term fan loyalty not just for The Thunder but for the Yankees brand and for baseball as well. The core fans who enjoy the baseball experience will come and have to be sated, but the eternal quest for drawing new fans is the biggest challenge, and the Thunder, unlike many organizations major and minor, seem to have a finger on the pulse of how to lure media and new blood to their great product.
Now as we have said before, there are several great examples of smart businesses run through the eye of minor league baseball in the State of New Jersey and the area close by. The Blue Claws do an amazing job in Lakewood, the Patriots in Somerset and now the Boulders in Rockland County. However the Thunder, a team with a strong legacy, seem to really be looking forward and into the community like few others, and for their efforts deserve the props.
Keep hitting it long Trenton, great job all around.
